Hand luggage



J EK Er AL HAND LU AGE May 16,

2 Sheets eet 1 Filed March 15, 1957 El a/WA 22 7 Whiz? P 7 f I v 1? FEE/74 k llll lil y 16, 9 J. PESHEK ET AL I 2,158,935

I HAND LUGGAGE Filed March 15, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WWW."In,

Patented May 16, 1939 PATENT OFFICE HAND LUGGAGE Joseph Peshek and George Henry "Racine, Wis, assignors to Wheary Trunk Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application March 15, 1937, Serial No. 130,992

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in hand luggage and refers particularly to a mans type hand luggage case equipped with garment supporting fixtures for carrying suits.

It is an object of this invention .to'improve the construction of the garment supporting fixtures perse, and particularly to provide a new and improved manner of mounting the retaining board in position;

Another object 'of this invention is to provide added rigidity for the transverse member. to which the garment hanger is attached.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of improved means for holding a garment supporting fixture within the cover section .of the case.

.A further object of this invention is to provide novel means for holding ties and the like.

With the above a'nd other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially ashereinafter described and. more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood thatsuch changes in the precise embodiment-of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

' The accompanying drawings illustrate one complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best mode. so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

l igure 1 is a perspectiveview of a hand luggage case embodyingthis invention;

Figure 2 isa plan view of the garment supporting fixture per se removed from the case;

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the plane of the line 3 3 of Figure 2;

- Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a detail of construction of the garment supporting fixture;

Figure '5" is an end view of the latch unit for retaining the garment supporting fixture of the cover section in place;

Figure 6 is a side view of said latch unit;

' Figure '7 is a fragmentary perspective view to show the manner in which one of the garment supporting fixtures is hingedly mounted within the cover section; and

: Figure 8 is'a detail view showing the construction of the tie rack.

1 Referring now particularly to the accompanying; drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the numoral; 5 de ignates the main cti n of a hand in position by a retainer board 11.

luggage case to which a cover section 6 is hingedly connected along one edge for movement to and from an open position substantially at right angles to the main section, as shown in Figure 1. The main section is equipped with the usual handle 1 by which the case is carried when it is closed, and the customary latch means 8 for holding the cover section in its closed position.

A garment supporting fixture, indicated generally by the numeral 9, is mounted in each of the two sections. This garment supporting fixture is designed to hold primarily a mans suit. It consists of a frame composed of two spaced side rails l connected at one end by a garment supporting bar II and at the other end by a transverse member I2. The side rails ID as well as the transverse member l2 are formed of flat metal strips and the garment supporting bar is preferably of round cross section.

The major cross sectional axis of the side rails I0 is normal to the plane of the fixture as a whole, and their ends which are connected by the transverse member l2 are bent inwardly as at 13 and have the adjacent end portions M of the transverse member l2 riveted or otherwise secured thereto. These end portions I4 of the transverse member H are twisted ninety degrees so that the major cross sectional axis of the transverse member l2 with the exception of its end portions l4 lies in a plane parallel to the plane of the fixture as a whole. In this manner the transverse member I2 is given added rigidity against stress applied in a direction toward the garment supporting bar I I while at the same time permitting the transverse member to be made of the same lightweight stock used for the side rails l0.

' A garment hanger I is detachably mounted as at Hi from the center of the transverse member l2. In view of the increased rigidity of the transverse member I2, the application of a pull on garments draped over the hanger I5 in straightening them preparatory to folding them over the bar ll does not displace the hanger or in anywise shorten the distance between the hanger and the supporting bar I l The ends of the garments draped on the hanger l5 and folded over the bar II are retained This board I1 is substantially rectangular in shape and has its opposite top and bottom edges reinforced by rounded moldings l8.

To mount the retaining board H, the side rails have recessed socket members I!) fixed thereto adjacent to their ends which are connected by the transverse member |2. These socket members, as best shown in Figure 3, are stamped from sheet metal and have a fiat attaching portion 20 which is riveted to the side rail and a cupped portion 2| forming the socket per se.

The sockets are designed to receive spring plungers 22 mounted on the adjacent corners of the retainer board. The spring plungers 22 are slidably disposed in guideways or casings 23 formed of sheet metal and provided with flanges 24 which overlie the opposite faces of the board to be riveted thereto, as clearly shown in Figure 2. Compression springs 25 confined within the guideways or casings 23 yieldingly urge the plungers outwardly.

With the spring plungers 22 engaged in the sockets, the retainer board may be moved with a hinge motion into and out of planar alignment with the side rails.

At the other two corners of the board are shields, indicated generally by the numeral 30, to reinforce and protect these corners of the board against wear from contact with the side rails ID as the board is swung down into position. To insure proper disposition of the board between the side rails, the shields have their outer edges inclined, as at 3|, and have more abruptly inclined or beveled portions 32 which cover part of the adjacent rounded edge I8.

Extending out from the inclined side edges 3| are projections 33 which may be formed as integral parts of the shields 30 or riveted thereto. These projections 33 are adapted to engage over the side rails and into operative engagement with hooks 34 fixed to the side rails. The location of the hooks with respect to the sockets i9 is such that when the projections 33 are engaged therewith, the springs 25 are placed in compression. Hence, it will be seen that removal of the retainer board is quickly and easily accomplished by merely pressing the board inwardly toward the transverse member l2 to disengage the projections 33 from the hooks 34.

The garment carrying fixture disposed in the main section 5 is hingedly mounted on its side walls 35, as shown in Figure 3. For this purpose, the inner end portions of the side rails have members 36 hinged thereto. These members are removably disposed in pockets 3'! fixed to the side walls 35. In this manner the fixture is hingedly and readily removably mounted in the main section.

Its free end is supported against dropping down into the main section by inwardly directed ledges formed as part of clip members 38 engag= ing over the edges of the side walls 35.

The other garment supporting fixture is mounted in the cover section by means of trunnions 39 fixed to the inner corners of the fixture to engage in slides 40 fixed to the side walls 4| of the cover section, as best shown in Figure '7. An abutment 42 on the inner wall of each slide member 40 limits the downward motion of the trunnions 39. The free end of this fixture is readily detachably held in the cover section by latch units, indicated generally by the numeral 43.

These latch units are secured to the inner face of the side walls 4| and each unit consists of a housing 45 in which a lever 46 is pivoted as at 4'! with the free end of the lever 46 projecting from the front wall 48 of the housing. The sidewall 49 of the housing has a recess 50 opening from its front edge across which the free end portion of the lever 46 is normally held by a compression pring 5|. The lever 46. has a, notch 52 so located as to be adjacent the inner end of the recess 50 so as to confine a pin or stud 53 which is fixed to the side rail of the fixture, in the inner end of the recess 50.

The engagement of the pins or studs 53 with their respective latch units is accomplished automatically upon swinging the free end of the fixture toward the latch units, as the outer end of the levers 46 are curved downwardly to pro vide cams onto which the pins or studs ride as the fixture is swung into position. To release the fixture for outward swinging movement, it is only necessary to depress the projecting ends of the levers 46.

Another very convenient innovation in the present case resides in the novel means provided for holding neckwear. This means consists of a metal strap 60 extendingtransversely across the rear wall 6| of the cover section and a resilient fabric strap 62 also extending transversely across the wall 6| near the inner end of the cover section. The strap 60 is formed of resilient sheet metal and has its end portions offset, as shown in Figure 8, so that the major portion of the strap is spaced slightly from the wall 3|. The marginal edges of the strap are curled inwardly as at 63 which provides a smooth edge for the strap and also adds to its rigidity without destroying its resilience.

In applying a tieto the strap, the tie is preferably folded once and the'folded end is then inserted in back of the strap 6|] so that the tie is virtually draped over the strap, as shown in Figure 1. The lower free end of the tie is then inserted in back of the strap 62.

To guard against fraying of the fabric with which the surface of the case is'usually covered by the pins or studs 53 as the cover section carried fixture is swung down onto the main section, metal shields or guards 65 are attached to the edges of the side walls 35 in line with the pins or studs when the cover carried fixtur'e swings down.

From the foregoing description taken in connection-with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, that this invention provides added convenience and increases the practicability of hand luggage cases of the type described.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. A garment supporting fixture for hand luggage cases comprising: two spaced side rails; a garment supporting bar connecting the rails at one end; a transverse member connecting the rails at their other ends; a garment hanger detachably carried by the transverse member and adapted to have a garment draped thereon with its depending portion arranged to be folded over the garment supporting bar; a retaining board to hold the end of the garment in substantially the plane of the fixture; and means for readily detachably mounting said retaining board from said side rails, said means including a socket member fixed to each side rail near its end attached to the transverse member; spring plungers at opposite side edge portions of the retaining'board engageable with said socket members to connect two opposite corners of the retaining board with the side rails and yieldingly urging the retaining board toward said garment support; a hook mounted on each side rail; and means carried by each of the two other corner portions of the retaining board engageable with said hooks to connect said other corners of the retaining board withvthe side rails, engagement of said means with the hooks being maintained by the spring tension of said plungers.

2'. In a garment supporting fixture for hand luggage: a frame having spaced substantially parallel side rails; a socket member carried by each rail and projecting inwardly therefrom; a hook carried by each rail at a distance from the socket member and facing the same; a retaining-board positionable between the side rails; and means for readily removably mounting said retaining board in position between the side rails comprising spring plungers carried by two opposite corners of the board for engagement with the socket members; and means carried by the other two corners of the retaining board and extending beyond the side edges of the board for engagement with the hooks, said means having inclined surfaces for guiding the free end 20 portions of the board into the space between said side rails upon hinge motion of the board about the engagement of its spring plungers with the socket members; engagement of said means with the hooks being maintained by the spring tension of the plungers.

3. In a garment supporting fixture for hand luggage: a hinged frame having spaced side arms; socket members carried by the arms, said socket members being open toward the free end of the frame; hooks mounted on the side arms outwardly of the socket members; a substantially rectangular retaining board; spring plungers mounted at two opposite corners of the retaining board for engagement with said socket members; and metal sheaths fitted over the other two corners of the board with parts thereof projecting from the side edges of the board to provide means for engaging said hooks, and said metal sheaths having inclined portions overlying the side edges of the board and engageable with the side arms to guide the board into proper engagement with the hooks.

JOSEPH PESHEK. GEORGE HENRY WHEARY. 

